System for clearing snow and ice from a surface

ABSTRACT

A snow- and ice-clearing system in which a snow- and ice-melting fluid is fed under pressure from a source to a longitudinally disposed tubular body having longitudinally arranged spray openings in its wall; such body resting on spaced supports disposable on the surface to be cleared; the supports interconnected into a unit by a transversely arcuate deflector plate connected by one edge to the supports and overhanging them and arranged to deflect discharged fluid from the tube openings against the surface. The fluid may be hot water or steam and the source a building-heating boiler.

- [72] Inventor United States Patent Albert Kronen 147 E. 82nd St., New York, N.Y. 10028 [21] App]. No. 6,692

[22] Filed Jan. 29, 1970 [45] Patented Oct. 12, 1971 [54] SYSTEM FOR CLEARING SNOW AND ICE FROM A 218,024 7/1879 l-lennessy et al. 126/271 .1 UX

1,629,160 5/1927 Heermance 126/271.1 UX

782,680 2/1905 Millspaugh 239/520 FOREIGN PATENTS 644,609 6/1928 France 2 39/202 Primary Examiner-Charles J. Myhre AttorneyVictor M. Helfand ABSTRACT: A snowand ice-clearing system in which a snowand ice-melting fluid is fed under, pressure from a source to a longitudinally disposed tubular body having longitudinally arranged spray openings in its wall; such body resting on spaced supports disposable on the surface to be cleared; the supports interconnected into a unit by a transversely arcuate deflector plate connected by one edge to the supports and overhanging them and arranged to deflect discharged fluid from the tube openings against the surface. The fluid may be hot water or steam and the source a buildingheating boiler.

PATENIED nm 1 219m vdE mmk POI INVEN'I'OR. ALBEAT Kym/ SYSTEM FOR CLEARING SNOW AND ICE FROM A SURFACE The present invention relates to a system for the clearing of a pedestrian surface area, such as sidewalks or pavements of building courts, or like areas; and is especially directed to a system for clearing snow and ice from such areas.

Heretofore, the removal of snow and ice from area surfaces such as described, had to be accomplished either manually, by means of hand tools, or by means of mechanical contrivances, such as motor-driven hand-pushed or motor-propelled snowplows. In either method, the snow and ice removal was laborious and required the completeand constant attention of a worker or operator.

The present invention is directed to the devising of a system by which the removal of the snow or ice may be substantially automatically performed, without any labor or undue effort on the part. of any one during the removal operation and without the need for constant attention by an operator while such operation is in progress.

The present invention is more particularly directed to the provision of means for use in the system of the invention for applying a melting material to the snow and ice on asurface to be cleared.

It is an object of the present invention to provide in a system of the character described means for the delivery of snow and ice-melting material from a source to the surface to be cleared which is of relatively simple construction and simple and easy to install and connect to the source of the material.

It is another object of the present invention to provide snow and ice-melting material delivery means of the character described which is lightweight and compact and occupies a minimum of space both, at the point of use and during storage.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide snow and ice-melting material delivery means of the character described which is economical to produce and to use and which will require a minimum of care for. its operation.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the snow and ice-clearing system and the melting material delivery means therefor, of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawing and from the description following..lt is to be understood, however that such showing is by way of illustration only, to make the principles and practice of the invention more-readily comprehensible, and without any intent to limit the invention to the specific details therein shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is more or less diagrammatic, isometric view illustrating one embodiment of the means for use in the system of the invention for delivering the melting material to a surface to be cleared;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary end view of the same;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end view ofanother embodiment of the delivery means of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of one form of source for snow-melting material, indicating the manner of connecting the same with the delivery means.

Generally stated, the present invention contemplates the utilization of a sprayed fluid, preferably a heated fluid, for applying to the snow and ice on' the surface to be cleared, for melting the same. For that purpose, the invention contemplates the utilization of the most convenient and most readily available source of heated fluid; namely, the steam boiler of an area-heating system. The heated fluid from the boiler is conducted to a spray unit disposed on the surface to be cleared which includes a tube or pipe, closed at one end, which is provided with longitudinally arranged openings in its wall and which rests on a supporting unit formed of a plurality of support elements which are connected into unitary structure by a deflector plate connected to each of them and overhanging the tube to direct its spray against the snow and ice.

More specifically stated, the spray unit of the invention includes a spray tube or pipe, 10, which is closed at one end, as at 24, and is formed with a plurality of spray discharge perforations or openings, 12, in its wall arranged longitudinally thereof in one or more rows. The unit also includes means for supporting the pipe 10 in horizontal position and for maintaining it in such position, and means for deflecting material emitted from openings 12 against the surface on which the unit is supported.

The pipe supporting and deflecting means may comprise a unit, generally designated as 14, consisting of a plurality of rest members, I6, ofsubstantially U-shape having flat bottoms, 18, adapted lie flat on a supporting surface and a recess with a rounded bottom; the rest members I6 being arranged in spaced relation and cradling pipe 10 within their rounded recesses. A transversely curved deflector plate, 20, which may be formed'of any suitable, rigid material, such as metal or plastic, is secured by one edge to one leg of each of the spaced rest members 16 in any desired suitable manner, as shown at 22, to connect them into a unitary structure, and in position to have its concave side facing the rest members and overhang the same.Spray pipe 10 and support unit 14 may be of any desired length. I

In FIGS. 1 and 2, spray pipe 10 is shown to be formed of plastic material, which may be natural or synthetic, and may be flexible, andis shown to rest freely within the curved.

recesses of rest members 16 of unit 14; the latter being shown as arranged againstthe base of a wall of a structure, in a comer formed between the wall, 26, and a paved walk, 28, where it presentsa minimum of obstruction to the sidewalk use and will be in position to clear substantially its entire area; the spray pipe 10 being arranged with its spray openings I2 facing substantially forwardly, away from the building wall.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3,'spray pipe is shown as being rigid and fonned of a metal and is also shown as being clamped to rest member 16 by means of half rings, 30, formed with laterally offset ends, 32, which are secured to offset ends, 34, on rest members 16, as by bolts, 35. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the deflector 20 is shown as formed with an outwardly offset flange, 36, by which it is secured, together with one of the offset endsof half rings 30, to corresponding offset ends of rest members 16.

Spray pipesil0 and 10a may be connected by their open ends to a source of fluid, snowand ice-melting material to have such material fed therefrom into the pipe 10 under pressure. Such connection may be effected in any conventional and desired manner, not thought necessary to be specifically illustrated.

The source of fluid material under pressure may be a heated fluid fed into pipe 10 from a team boiler of a heating system, such as schematically indicated at 38, which may be the boiler used for heatingthe structure 26. The fluid may be the hot water in'the boiler 38, which may be withdrawn from the boiler by conduit, 40, by a pump, 42, and led by conduit, 44, under pressureof the pump, from the outlet of pump 42 to pipe 10. Conduit 44 may be a permanentinstallation of the structure, with an outlet on the exterior of thestructure, in a manner that will be readily understood, or may be a fully movable andzflexible hose.

The fluid sprayed through spray pipe 10 may also comprise the steam generated within the boiler 38, which may be fed by its own pressure through conduit, '46, to spray pipe 10. Conduit 46 may likewise be permanently installed in the structure. Shutoff valves, 48, may be installed in either of conduits 40 and 46.

In use, a support unit 16 with a spray pipe 10 or 10a is placed on the ground and connected to conduits 40 or 46, as the case may be, of the heated boiler 38, and the valve 48 in the conduit opened. When the spray pipe 10 is connected to the conduit 40, pump 42 is activated. The spray of hot water or steam, as the case may be, will be expelled under pressure through openings 12 either directly to the walk 28 of the building or deflected thereon by the deflector 18, to melt the snow or ice thereon. Where the units 16 do not extend the entire length of the area to be cleared, they may be moved from place to place to clear successive areas. When out of use, unit l4 and pipe may be readily disconnected and conveniently moved and compactly stored.

It may here be stated that the fluid material used may include hot air or other gaseous substances instead of hot water or steam and also snowand ice-melting material in fluid solid form, such as pellets or powders that may be sprayed through the opening of a pipe 10 or 10a; such pellets or powder being blown into and out of such pipe under pressure.

This completes the description of the snowand ice-melting system of the present invention. It will be readily apparent that such system may be simply and easily installed; that it will be highly effective for its purpose; that the spray pipe and supporting unit therefor may be readily and conveniently placed on the area to be clear without unduly obstructing the same; that such pipe and unit may be easily moved from place to place and that such pipe and unit are lightweight and compact for storage when not in use.

It will also be apparent that numerous variations and modifications may be made in the snowand ice-melting system of the present invention any anyone skilled in the art, in accordance with the principles of the invention hereinabove set forth, without the use of any inventive ingenuity.

What I claim is:

l. A system for clearing snow and ice from the surface, including a source of snowand ice-melting fluid under pressure and means connected to said source for spraying said fluid under pressure against the surface to be cleared, said means including an elongated hollow, tubular body having a plurality of longitudinally arranged spray openings formed in the wall thereof, means supporting said body on said surface and a deflector connected to said supporting means arranged to direct spray from said openings against said surface, said means supporting said body comprises a plurality of spaced, U-shaped members having bottoms adapted to rest on said surface, said body disposed within the recess of said U-shaped members, said deflector connected to a leg of each of said U- shaped members and joining them into a unitary structure.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said deflector comprises a transversely arcuate sheet of rigid material, said deflector connected by one edge to said U-shaped members with its concave side overhanging said elongated hollow body.

3. The system of claim I, wherein means are provided for clamping said body in said recesses, said deflector secured by one edge to said clamping means.

4 The system of claim 3, wherein said means for clamping said body within said recesses comprise a laterally outwardly offset end portion on a leg of each said member, said recess adapted to encompass less than the thickness of said body, and an arcuate body having a laterally outwardly offset end overlying and secured to the offset end of said leg.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said source of fluid under pressure comprises a steam boiler, said body connected to the steam-enclosing portion of said boiler.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said source of fluid under pressure comprises a hot water boiler, said body connected to a conduit extending into the water of said boiler and pump means are interposed in said conduit between said boiler and said elongated body for pressure-feeding water from said boiler to said body. 

1. A system for clearing snow and ice from the surface, including a source of snow- and ice-melting fluid under pressure and means connected to said source for spraying said fluid under pressure against the surface to be cleared, said means including an elongated hollow, tubular body having a plurality of longitudinally arranged spray openings formed in the wall thereof, means supporting said body on said surface and a deflector connected to said supporting means arranged to direct spray from said openings against said surface, said means supporting said body comprises a plurality of spaced, U-shaped members having bottoms adapted to rest on said surface, said body disposed within the recess of said U-shaped members, said deflector connected to a leg of each of said U-shaped members and joining them into a unitary structure.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said deflector comprises a transversely arcuate sheet of rigid material, said deflector connected by one edge to said U-shaped members with its concave side overhanging said elongated hollow body.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein means are provided for clamping said body in said recesses, said deflector secured by one edge to said clamping means.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein said means for clamping said body within said recesses comprise a laterally outwardly offset end portion on a leg of each said member, said recess adapted to encompass less than the thickness of said body, and an arcuate body having a laterally outwardly offset end overlying and secured to the offset end of said leg.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein said source of fluid under pressure comprises a steam boiler, said body connected to the steam-enclosing portion of said boiler.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein said source of fluid under pressure comprises a hot water boiler, said body connected to a conduit extending into the water of said boiler and pump means are interposed in said conduit between said boiler and said elongated body for pressure-feeding water from said boiler to said body. 